1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for rolling a rod-shaped steel or other kind of metal by allowing the material to move in the horizontal direction and pass through a rolling mechanism.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the well-known methods of making rod-shaped material into a desired section (i.e., section steel or the like) or wire rod is as follows: A rod material is allowed to move along a conveyance line and pass between a pair of rolls which are rotatably supported in parallel with each other and each of which is provided with a plurality of shape grooves of different depths at the circumference thereof so that each pair of corresponding shape grooves of the rolls provides a "caliber" or shape aperture. The material is allowed to continue passing through the different calibers until a desired section or wire rod is obtained. In such rolling operation, however, when the material is moved in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance line thereof so as to enter into a different caliber after the rolling by one caliber is finished, it may happen that the material is damaged or bent. For removing such a defect, a new technique has been developed whereby the rolls rather than a material to be rolled is moved in such a direction together with the mechanism for holding the rolls. However, such a unit (comprising the rolls and holding mechanism) to be moved is extremely weighty, and if the unit is moved at a higher speed, it is very difficult to stop the unit from moving at the predetermined position with strict accuracy since they are subject to great inertia. On the other hand, if such a unit is moved so slowly that the unit may be accurately stopped from moving at the predetermined position, it takes a longer time to move the unit by a required amount.